DaVita Agrees to Pay $34M+ to Settle Illegal Kickback Claims

DaVita was alleged to have violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to induce referrals to a subsidiary which had provided pharmacy services for dialysis patients, and by paying kickbacks to nephrologists and vascular access physicians to induce patient referrals to DaVita’s dialysis centers.

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce patient referrals or the prescription of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded healthcare programs.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/davita-pay-over-34m-resolve-allegations-illegal-kickbacks